Please join us in a letter to House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration in support of robust funding for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program and the Specialty Crop Research Initiative in FY20.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), specialty crops contribute nearly $57.6 billion to the U.S. economy, representing nearly a quarter of the value of crops grown in the United States. However, specialty crops are historically underfunded
in the federal research budget over the past three decades.

We write to ask for full funding for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) and the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) in the Fiscal Year 2020 Agricultural, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Relevant Agencies Appropriations
bill.

Specialty crops are essential to the economy and character of the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), specialty crops contribute nearly $57.6 billion to the U.S. economy, representing nearly a quarter of the value of crops
grown in the United States. However, specialty crops are historically underfunded in the federal research budget over the past three decades.

Congress created SCBGP in 2006 and SCRI in 2008 to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops to make competitive research grants available to increase food safety, access to healthy food and profitability and sustainability. Specialty crops include
a diverse range of fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits and horticulture and nursery crops, all of which face unique research needs spanning crop inputs, pest pressures, harvesting technologies, portability and food safety issues, among other needs.
Strengthening the existing research programs not only helps this industry stay competitive in the global marketplace, it has also generated thousands of U.S. jobs including growers, packers, shippers, marketers and retailers.

Congress must continue to help the American agriculture community by providing the resources farmers need to bring their crops from their farms to kitchen tables across the country. Thank you for your continued support for the Specialty Crop Block Grant
and the Specialty Crop Research Initiative.